I DID WHAT? James Whittemore appears dazed in Manhattan court yesterday, a day after he trashed the lobby of the Ed Sullivan Theater, where David Letterman tapes his show.steven hirsch

(Steven Hirsch)

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The struggling actor who trashed the lobby of the Ed Sullivan Theater was so drunk that he has no memory of his rampage, his lawyer said yesterday.

Pint-size perp James Whittemore, 22, kept his lips zipped but became misty eyed at his arraignment hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court for wrecking the lobby of David Letterman’s studio Sunday morning.

He is charged with burglary and criminal mischief.

“He was highly intoxicated and does not recall how he got there,” said Eric Williams, Whittemore’s court-appointed lawyer. “He said he doesn’t remember much of anything.”

Prosecutors detailed how Whittemore wreaked havoc during his berserk battering of the legendary theater on Broadway, starting with urinating on the building’s ornate brass and glass doors before smashing his way into the lobby and wrecking it with the velvet-rope stanchions he found inside.

Whittemore was released from jail early today after posting bail and went to his Harlem apartment.

“Look, it could’ve been a lot worse,” he told The Post, describing his time in custody. “I don’t know if it’s over yet, but I’m glad I’m done tonight.”

His lawyer added during arraignment: “He feels worse that he doesn’t remember what happened, that the drinking caused this. He is willing to clean up the damage, that’s for sure.”

The lawyer called Whittemore’s actions “random” and said that neither the theater nor Letterman was purposely targeted by his client.

Friends of the actor were still reeling over news of his behavior.

“It’s just so shocking that he did this, that this is him,” said one of Whittemore’s two roommates, refusing to give his name. “I mean, we never would have moved in with him if we knew that he was capable of something like this.”

The roommate said Whittemore — who has been trying to make ends meet by taking chorus gigs at local casinos and Great Adventure Six Flags — struggles with his acting, and he wondered if the rampage was related to that.

“He works so hard; he works his butt off, and he tries so hard to make the rent. In my opinion, this seems to be like something that wasn’t just alcohol related,” the man said.

Last night, Letterman joked about the incident and even devoted a Top Ten list to it.

“Did you hear about this?” he said in his monologue. “Over the weekend . . . a guy breaks into the Ed Sullivan Theater. Right here, a guy breaks in. I’m told now that Jay [Leno] has an alibi.”

He also riffed, “This is the ‘Late Show’ — not just a talk show, ladies and gentlemen, this is an active crime scene.”